The Portland daily press., 1887-12-10
no Improve the saco.
CHRISTIAN COOPERATION.
Work of the Evangelical Alliance.
Cleveland Meets Burchard.

buio d1tClnOOn Wdo tduCQ w nCdAiJ WV
thousand members of the Evangelical ALI
ance, who called in body to pay their re-
spects to Pres ident and Mrs. Cleveland. The
President said he was glad to meet the dele
cation, and understood the purpose of the
Alliance to be the application of Christian
rules of conduct to the problems and exigen-
cies of social and political life. Such move
ment cannot fail to produce the most vaiua-
BILE results. All must admit that the recep-
tion of the teachings of Christianity results
in the purest patriotism.
Rev. DIR. Bnrchard of New York. of the
r. r. II. fame, was among those presented.
The President recognized him and advanced
earnestness and fervor, that he was very
glad to see him. This created much mer-
riment.
At the opeuing CT the Conference this
morning. President Dodge announced that
illness had prevented Rev. DR.. Storrs of
Brooklyn from being present, and that his
paper ON "rhe Necessity of Cooperation in
Christian Work" would be read by Rev. DR..
Chamberlain of Brooklyn, whom he intro
duced.
DR.. Storrs in his paper alludes to the perils
arising from the misuse of wealth, literature
and the estrangement of many from church.
He did not think there was any reason for
thinking that Christianity had not divine
and divinely directed resources adequate for
the emergency. The great thing needed is
to gather up and concentrate our power.
This is an old and wholly practical counsel.
Every great political, social and religious
enterprise demands such cooperation. 1t is
needed to keep us devoted, courageous and
hopeful The isolated are apt to become
moody and acrid. The whole is greater than
the sum of its parts in all warfare, and pre-
eminently so in warfare for Christ.
Bishop Samuel Harris of Michigan said he
believed that this conference is the practical
response of Christian wisdom to the call OF a
generally recognized need; O.
Rev. Or. Washington GLADDEN. OF Colum-
bus, Ohio, was introduced and continued the
subject. George e. Post M. D., of the Medi-
cal Mission at BeyrOut, Syria, said the past
taught us what to believe about God; the
future must show what we are to do for
men. The past was marked by strife; the
future must see cooperation.
Philip Schaff, ID. D., was introduced as the
father of the Alliance, and one of the most
active workers for its ends. He spoke at
considerable length.
Secretary of the Alliance, said: There is
reason for serious apprehension, notwith-
standing the wealth, numbers and intelll-
gence of church members. There must be
better understanding and more cooperation
to meet the rising tide of peril. The higher
the form of life, the greater the need of or
ganic cooperation. This is the grand secret
Of our material progress. Ii we let the ma
terial outgrow the spiritual, that is disease.
To prevent this is the object of this gather
W
alton with most of the representative men in
the denominations. We hope to secure CO.
operation in the study of sociological and
industrial problems, in the. application of
Christian principles to their solution, in
reaching the entire population with the Cos
pei in accomplishing needed reforms, and in
defending cherished American Institutions.
The conflict between capitalists and laborers
shows that the industrial system is not
vitalized by Christian principles. President
Seelye. says in the first three centuries the
idea of God was central. During the third,
fourth and fifth, the leading thought Was
man. Next came the idea of union of God
and man, or salvation through Christ. Then
followed the efforts for human brotherhood,
these growing ever since the reformation.
Our nation must lead in making a practical
application of this idea for our age. We
have attended mainly to the material so far
but now higher work calls us. The speak
er unfolded an extensive plan for labor
among non-churcn-goers, including local alli-
ances, and State alliances which can plan ag
gressive work in destitute rural localities.
No doubt ten or twelve millions of church
members in the country could, if united in
aim and method, accomplish any moral re-
form within the limits of possibility.
Frank Russell, ID. d., followed, in paper
on ''Co-operation inssmall cities" and gave
an interesting account of the work OF Chris
tian cooperation in OSwegO.
Rev. A. +. Schauffler, ID. D., of New York,
for fifteen yeors lab0red in part of the city
from which the churches have moved. Al
ter stating several reasons why other schemes
Of cooperation are not practicable, he said
the City Mission Society fixed upon the Ian
of forming undenominational churches in
| the neglected districts.
Daniel Graham, D. D., of Philadelphia,
| gave an interesting account OF the great sue
| cess of prayerful efforts to promote cOOpera-
tion among the 100000 open communion
Baptist sects of various names, scattered all
| over the country, especially in the West and
| South. Remarks were also made by Thomas
| A. McMullen, Of Arizona, and Rev. Samuel
| Small.
At the closing session tonight large audi
| ence was present. Mrs. Cleveland was an
| interested spectator at several Of the meet
| ings, President Wm K. Dodge presided
| "lndividual responsibility growing out of
perils and opportunities" was the subject
| discussed. Rev. Dr., A. j. Gordon of Boston
| said the responsibility was measured by the
| opportunity and the ability Three perils
| must be faced. First is the impatient muir
| murings of communism. Religion suffers
| because every wealthy churchman who
| makes a living by grinding the faces of his
| employees, creates hundreds OF poor who re-
| ject religion, when men OF that class are its
| exponents. The second peril is agnosticism.
| Agnosticism is culture ending in ignorance.
He combatted the tendency to bring science
| into realms of religion, and wished no more
| chairs established in theological schools to
teach the relation Of science to Chris
1
| it will be time enough to anchor to-
| When it is in state Of tiux, we should at
| tend to something else The third arises
| from the hold strong drink has ON the lower,
and vicious classes Many drunkards call
| ON the authorities to protect them from their
| own appetites. If the voice of the church
! is clear on this point, legislators will give
| heed.
Rev. DIR. vandyke, of New York, said that
| danger is not to be apprehended from out
side influences but from supine inertness
| within the church. The peril of the country
is from those citizens who do not care
| enough about it to vote. The peril of the
church is from those who have not enough
faith and stamina to work for Christ.
Short speeches followed by Rev. Thane
Miller, of Cincinnati; Rev. Mr.. Dickey, OF
Philadelphia; Z. b. Monroe, of Connecticut
DIR. King, of New York. Rev. DR.. Bates, OF
Boston Rev. DR.. Parkhurst, Rev. DR.. Pear
son, of Philadelphia. and Rev. DR.. 5. M;
church in which the meetings were held
President Dodge urged all to study the needs
of those around them and take renewed in
terest in the welfare of their immediate